Virginia Tech shooter scare proves layered mass communications concept effective

According to an Associated Press report August 4th, Virginia Tech officials locked down the campus after three students attending a summer camp reported seeing what they thought might be someone holding a handgun. S. Daniel Carter, director of public policy for Security On Campus, a nonprofit organization that monitors how colleges react to emergencies, said it appeared Virginia Tech responded appropriately. Carter said having various forms of notification — sirens and message boards in addition to text messages and e-mails — are important in instances like Thursday's, when many on campus are there for summer camps or otherwise not registered to receive alerts individually.